Bike Dealer on Ebay

Locate the LBS that will be doing the assembly/fit/repair and maintenance work for you, and ask them how much they will charge for those services. Tack that amount on to the price of your bike, as most LBSs will provide those services free with purchase, including repair and maintenance for a year or so.Many LBSs also give discounts on accessories with new bike purchases, and you will need plenty of those. Also, I don't see any information on here about warranties, or returns, or exchanges, these policies could be vital to your satisfaction as a customer.

That said, I've bought two bikes online, about $4000 worth, saved over $1000 in the process, and am happy as a clam. My purchases were from online retailers, not ebay, and both the sellers have real brick-and-stick retail locations, as well as warranties and liberal return policies. One of them sold me a too-small bike, but was glad to pay return shipping and send me the next bigger size, all at little cost to me. I also have an independent bike guy who does all my tuneups and repairs fairly cheap ($25 for a minor tuneup including truing the wheels) and fit me to my Litespeed, though I am going to pay $100 to get a FIST-certified fit on my Dual.

Good deals can be found out there, just exercise caution and figure in all the contingencies.

On a side note, I'm not overly convinced by this guy's arguments in favor of steel frames. Also, there are cheaper bikes on ebay (Motobecane, for example).

Edited by the bear 2005-04-29 11:59 AM

I'm actually a step ahead of you. :-) I called the LBS and they said assembling the bike would be $85, plus $160 for the fitting. If I bought the bike there, the fitting would be half off. So its $165 in incremental cost for buying the bike online. $695 (for the bike) + $165 (assembly and fitting) = $860

The cheapest bike I can find with decent components looks like its going to be $1100 to $1200, so I am saving at least $240 by purchasing online. So the question is, will my first year of tuneups etc and discounts on accessories going to add up to $240?

Of course, there is still that reliability factor you mention. I looked at the reviews of this seller and it seems that in the few cases where someone has had a problem, she has sent replacement parts etc. And she claims you still get the manufacturer's warrantee.

Edited to add, the second bike I linked to above IS a Motobecane (2005 MOTOBECANE GIGI)--is this a good manufacturer? I've never heard of them.

Edited by jtat17 2005-04-29 12:11 PM

So the LBS wants to charge you $80 bucks for a fitting if you bought the bike from them? Have you shopped around? Seems to me that If an LBS sold you a bike that a fitting would be part of the process.. unless they wanted you to come back in a few weeks complaining about your new bike.
If I dropped over a grand on a bike I'd expect a fitting as part of the package.

But thats just my limited experience..
Oh.. and did i mention that I'm a cheap S.O.B.

ws

I agree with Will. Find a shop that will do that stuff for free when you buy a bike from them. I'm a bit cheap too though...

Edited by ODogg 2005-04-29 12:18 PM

Sorry, I thought you had a double post so I just clicked on the first one.

Nope, don't have any experience with Motobecane or Mercier. Just remember that you're buying more than components, that the 105-level name-brand frames may be lighter, better designed, and better manufactured.

Looks like the biggest factor would be trust and reliability, and the inconvenience of having to deal online with any problem that may arise.

Just know that there are fittings, and there are FITTINGS. I'm cheap as well (easy too), but I have no problem paying $100 for a FIST certified fitting on a tribike. $160 for a road bike fit seems a little excessive...I would want to know what they would give me for my $$$. 

I think this pricing for fitting may just be from the fact that I live in NYC, and they charge excessive amounts for EVERYTHING here.

Also, to give some perspective, I called the biggest bike chain in Manhattan (they have six branches), and asked what they charge for a fitting, and the guy was like: "If the bike doesn't fit then you have the wrong size." Nice. I'm glad they hire such knowledgeable employees.

Edited by jtat17 2005-04-29 12:54 PM

I have purchased from this dealer and had a very positive experience. If this is actually the bike you want and you find it cheaper to purchase from her online store, I would endorse the transaction.

I bought a road bike from SPRTYMAMA off ebay several years ago and have nothing but positive things to say about the transaction. I got a good deal on the bike, it served me well for 2 years and a few thousand miles, and I was able to sell it for about 80% of what I'd paid for it.

However, I have a lot of experience with bikes and do all my own maintenance. I knew what size I needed and how to adjust the bike to fit me. I knew how to assemble the bike properly (and it did require a decent amount of assembly). I had all the tools and stuff I needed to get the job done. If I didn't have that knowledge, I would have stuck with a local purchase. A few trips to the mechanic at the LBS and your price difference for the ebay bike is kaput.

Bike maintenance isn't the rocket science or black art that a lot of folks make it out to be. A small investment in tools and time can return wonders. Buy 'Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance' and spend some time at the parktool.com website and you'll have no problem doing most anything you need to do to a bike